Hard answers to fix soft plastic dilemma
HARD answers to Australia’s soft plastics problem are driving environmental innovation in farming and production – and a coming grant round will fertilise more bold ideas for the better.
The sudden death of plastic straws and single-use plastic bags were easy wins, but the scale of soft plastic packaging and other plastic products remains staggering.
“We take on over three million pieces of soft plastic every single day from around the country,” REDcycle marketing and communication manager Rebecca Gleghorn said. “(Deposits) increased over 100 per cent in 2020 from 2019.”
REDcycle recovers postconsumer soft plastics right around Australia in its specially marked bins and, investment into recycling solutions came from the same place most households acquire soft plastic waste: the supermarket.
“REDcycle’s partnership with Coles is 10 years old this year,” Ms Gleghorn said.
“Coles were the first people to jump on board and offer the public an option for somewhere to drop off their soft plastic.
“We’ve rolled it out to every Coles store across the country now.
“Their support for this soft plastics recycling program has been immeasurable. It doesn’t matter where it is in the country, it makes its way back to our sorting depot in Melbourne.”
A bread bag’s second life turns out to be pretty exciting – as long as it lands in a REDcycle bin instead of landfill.
After initial treatment at the depot, bales of soft plastics are distributed to partner producers making everything from decking and park benches to garden equipment, garden stakes, pickets, edging and even civil engineering projects such as roads.
Manufacturer Plastic Forests accelerated development of its recycled soft plastic fence post for agricultural and equine industries using REDcycle supplies and a $300,000 Coles Nurture Fund grant after Black Summer wreaked devastation across Australia.
“For 10 years we’ve received soft plastics from farmers who historically burnt it, buried it or did bad things with it,” Plastic Forests managing director David Hodge said.
“The head of Coles Beef saw the farm side of plastics and he saw … the REDcycle program.
“He approached us to see if we could make a fence post made with soft plastics.
“That was just before the fires. As the fires hit, Coles were on the phone to us saying ‘Wow, you guys really need to speed up’.”
The first PLUS Posts off the production line went to two properties severely damaged by the disaster.
“Two properties in Tumbarumba (NSW) really did cop a massive amount of fire damage, it was horrendous,” Mr Hodge said.
“They were assisted (by) the Nurture Fund as well … Coles helped Steve and Bek (rebuild) after the fires.”
The Coles Nurture Fund grants up to $500,000 to Australian makers of cuttingedge sustainable products, technologies and processes.
Project submissions reopen in January.
“By helping to fund initiatives which increase recycling, reduce water use, increase renewable energy and support local production, we aim to drive generational sustainability in Australia,” Coles Group CEO Steven Cain said.
Since launching the fund in 2015, Coles has granted more than $28m in financial support to more than 80 small and medium-sized Australian businesses.
COLES WERE THE FIRST PEOPLE TO JUMP ON BOARD AND OFFER THE PUBLIC AN OPTION FOR SOMEWHERE TO DROP OFF THEIR SOFT PLASTIC
REBECCA GLEGHORN